DigitalGlobe forms satellite joint venture with Saudi firms

WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) – U.S. satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe Inc created a joint venture on Sunday with two Saudi Arabian organizations to develop a network of small satellites that will eventually be able to revisit key areas of the globe 40 times a day.

Jeffrey Tarr, chief executive officer of DigitalGlobe, said the deal would leverage DigitalGlobe’s high-resolution satellites, ground infrastructure and processing power to help market and expand the accuracy of imagery to be collected by the new, small satellites.

“Small sat imagery alone is of limited valued, but when you combine it with the high-resolution, high-accuracy imagery that DigitalGlobe satellites uniquely offer, we’re able to unlock the potential of the technology,” Tarr told Reuters.

The deal is part of DigitalGlobe’s drive to expand its base of government and industry customers around the globe, but also gives Saudi Arabia a stake in the expanding market for remote sensing and satellite technology. Read More